This invention relates to interchangeable eyes for fishing lures. This invention came about after studying the feeding habits of most game fish upon smaller species of fish. It was found that game fish are attracted to and attack the eyes of their prey when they feed. As a result, it was desirable to come up with a fishing lure which not only took on the shape of the prey but also had eyes similar to the prey.
The prior art is deluged with the "perfect" fishing lures, some of which have distinctive colors to attract the game fish and some of which have distinctive shapes so that they move through the water in a distinctive manner similar to the movements of the prey of the game fish.
One known prior art is REMOVABLE EYES FOR FISHING LURES, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,007, INVENTED BY JACK G. SOUTHERLAND and ISSUED ON MAY 11, 1993, which comprises simulated eyes and an elongated barbed shank carried by each of the eyes, the barbed shank having a shank bend opposite the eye, which is inserted in the head of the fishing lure with the eye essentially protruding therefrom. The shank is engaged inside the head of the fishing lure and can be removed as desired by the user. This invention is primarily useful for fishing lures having extensive bodies so that the shank can be inserted in the body itself. However, most fishing lures are flat and contoured and don't have extensive bodies into which something can be engaged, thus limiting the use of a shank to secure an eye in the fishing lure.